The new President of the southern Baptist changes the strategy of evangelism

The new President of the southern Baptist wants his denomination has shifted the priorities of evangelism and starting new churches. Pastor J. D. Greer knows what he is talking about. His mega-Church set a goal to start a thousand churches over the next 50 years.

In the Church “Summit” I believe that God gives the Great Commission to all believers, not just pastors and missionaries. They’re doing the last 17 years.

“To be called by God means to accept what God gave you and use for the purposes of the Great Commission,” says J. D. Greer, pastor of the Church “the Summit”.

Pastor J. D. Greer builds his Church for 17 years, and the results speak for themselves. This 10-strong community has already opened 40 churches in the United States and more than two hundred overseas. One of them appeared very close — in Greensboro. The Church of “mercy hill” was established six years ago in this Park and there was only about 40 people. Today the Church of “mercy hill” is visited by over two thousand people in three buildings, and about eight hundred were baptized.

“When we started, we were few, only 30 people. But the main thing is cohesion, it is important to have a common vision,” says the pastor.

And this common vision — the Great Commission. In the Church “Summit” is called the “sending”. And it begins when parents “dedicate” their children.

“They make a Covenant as part of its parent initiations that will raise children for the purposes of the Great Commission, and that when God will call their son or daughter to Afghanistan or to the middle East to preach the gospel, they, as parents, in accordance with this Covenant will not prevent”, — says J. D. Greer.

Room for children similar to the airport, where every child grows with the idea that every week he “sent” to tell about Jesus.

“We want them to feel part of our mission and participated in this work, talking about God to your friends,” says Jacob Orr, pastor of the Church “the Summit”.

By high school, kids Church “the Summit” go in a short mission trip with the family. And older classes spend three weeks abroad with Church missionaries. Then, in College, Summit encourages student participation in summer missionary work of the organization “Big Ask”, where they get their first experience in the organization of churches.

“Opening of the Church, we just throw a call: “Hey, graduate, it’s time to move somewhere. Come with us to organize a new Church,” continues J. D. Greer.

“I want to be a missionary. I believe that God has called us to go out into the world. And the question is not when will it be, and where and how,” says the schoolgirl Sam Niemann, a parishioner of the Church “Summit”.

“The bottom line is that your whole life is missionary work. Optional swim in the ocean. No need to do anything special. Your life is your mission field,” says student Dominique Williams, the Church of “mercy hill.”

Such attention to the youth and students helped the Church “the Summit” to pave the way for incredible success and growth of churches. In the same week when the “CBN News” visited “mercy hill” in Philadelphia for the opening of the new Church were sent to the team of workers, including College graduates.

“I was trained, provided all the necessary things and now they send us on a mission,” — said member of the missionary team Kinsey Smith.

The team also included several seniors and this is another strategy of the Church. The summit is asking all retirees the first two years to give a tithe of their pension to a new Church. Greer admits that, although he dreamed all his life of missions and new churches, the goal of a thousand churches came later.

“She visited me in the middle of the sermon. I thought she was right, and I just said it out loud. “Over the next 50 years we will open thousands of new churches.” Then I left the scene, and one of our pastors said, “You said a thousand churches in 50 years?” And I said, “Yes, now we need to figure out how to do it,” says pastor Greer.

Greer recognizes that growth can be painful. Every year they appoint several new pastors to seek staff and hire new people for the organization of new churches.

“A hundred people standing on a stage, and I look at them and think: “What talented people they serve so well, run the ministries. Some of them sacrifice so much. How are we going to do without them?” — he shares.

Greer wants to push the southern Baptist denomination to the cultivation of these priorities of evangelism and starting new churches. In addition, he intends to cultivate Church leaders are more “colored” people. This decision is made at the time of the reduction in membership in southern Baptist churches and racial hatred. His strategy was correct.

“I don’t know how long God’s hand be upon us, but until then, we will go and preach to the people,” says pastor Andrew.

“We tell our students, but especially students: “God has created you with certain abilities, whatever those abilities use them to the glory of God, use them for the fulfillment of God’s instructions,” supported J. D. Greer.

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